CHELSEA IS IN A FREE FALL - LAMPARD

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard believes the Premier League champions' poor start to the season is far from just a blip.

The title holders are languishing in 16th position with just 11 points from their opening 12 games of the campaign, and Lampard knows how important it is for Chelsea to get out of their rut as soon as possible. Chelsea slumped to a seventh defeat of the season after Marko Arnautovic's acrobatic effort was enough to secure a 1-0 win for Stoke City at the Britannia on Saturday.

"This is far from a blip, they are losing games regularly," Lampard told Sky Sports.

"They need to turn the corner very quickly. They can't dwell on it, they need to get out of it and put it to bed."

However, the 37-year-old - who now plays his football for New York City in the MLS - said he saw signs against Stoke that Chelsea are on the right path.

"I saw glimpses of what they need to turn the corner," he said. "I couldn't fault their performance, they just didn't get that little bit of luck to get the result.

"They need to get results, simple as that."

Lampard also pointed out that it is important for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to stay positive despite the increasing pressure.

"He will get to work in the week, but there is only so much he can do in training and tactically," he said.

"He has to be positive because there is so much being thrown at Chelsea, there are players out of form and low on confidence, you can see that.

"They need everything to be behind them in a positive way and look forward."